Independent professionals on 3lanse
What is a 3lancer?
A 3lancer is an independent professional (a freelance project manager, quantity surveyor, site manager, engineer or safety specialist) who uses 3lanse to show their credentials, keep their compliance current and run the business side of freelancing.
What is a freelance professional?
A freelance professional runs their own business and sells their expertise to clients for defined pieces of work: a project, a phase, a package or a set period. In construction and engineering that might be a site manager covering a fit-out, a quantity surveyor taking on a commercial package, or a temporary works coordinator brought in for a demanding phase of work.
Freelancers usually trade as a sole trader or through their own limited company. They set their own rates, choose their clients and carry their own responsibilities, from insurance and record keeping to invoicing and tax.
That independence is valuable, but it comes with a lot of repeated administration. Every new client wants to see insurance certificates, cards, qualifications and experience, often in a different format each time. A 3lancer keeps all of that in one place.
What makes a freelancer a 3lancer
A professional profile
Compliance on record
A completed PQQ
Business tools
Direct relationships
A professional network
The disciplines 3lancers work in
3lanse starts with independent construction, engineering and project delivery professionals:
- Project managers and site managers responsible for delivery on site, programme and people.
- Quantity surveyors and commercial managers handling valuations, variations, cost reporting and contracts.
- Planners and civil engineers covering programmes, setting out and technical delivery.
- Temporary works professionals, including coordinators and designers.
- Health and safety and CDM professionals supporting duty holders and site teams.
- Commissioning specialists bringing complex installations through testing and handover.
The platform is built so further professional disciplines can be added over time.
How 3lanse membership works
3lanse is funded through small memberships across the network. Professionals contribute, and so do the businesses that engage them. Because the cost is shared, nobody carries a large fee: there are no finder's fees for businesses and no commission taken from a 3lancer's day rate.
What membership gives a 3lancer
- A profile businesses can find by discipline, location and work status.
- Invoicing and customer statements built from saved business details.
- Compliance document storage with expiry tracking and reminders.
- The 3lanse PQQ, with reviewer feedback on anything that needs attention.
- Messaging, connections and testimonials.
You can start on Freelanser for free, then move to 3lanser Plus or Pro. See pricing for what each plan includes.
The signals on a 3lancer's profile
Work status
Every 3lancer shows whether they are available for work, available in the coming weeks, or not available. It is the first thing most businesses want to know, so it sits at the top of the profile.
3lanse Compliant
An automatic check. The member has completed the core profile information, including discipline, day rate, location and experience, and has in-date insurance recorded. It lapses on its own if that insurance expires.
PQQ Compliant
A reviewed status. The member has completed the 3lanse prequalification questionnaire and a 3lanse reviewer has assessed it, with supporting evidence, against defined requirements. Members who meet them appear first when businesses search their discipline.
What these signals don't replace
They reduce repeated checks; they do not replace judgement. A business should still confirm that a professional suits the specific role and engagement. Read more on finding a 3lancer for your project.
Frequently asked questions
What is a freelance construction professional?
A freelance construction professional is an independent project manager, site manager, quantity surveyor, engineer or specialist who works for a number of clients on defined pieces of work, rather than as an employee of one company. Most operate as a sole trader or through their own limited company.
Is a 3lancer employed by 3lanse?
No. 3lancers are independent. 3lanse does not employ members, place them under agency contracts or set their rates. Each engagement is agreed directly between the 3lancer and the business engaging them.
Who is responsible for IR35 and employment status?
Employment status, including IR35 where it applies, is assessed for each engagement by the parties involved. 3lanse helps members keep their business records organised, but it does not make status determinations on anyone's behalf.
What is the difference between 3lanse Compliant and PQQ Compliant?
3lanse Compliant is an automatic check: the member has completed the core profile information and has in-date insurance recorded. PQQ Compliant means a 3lanse reviewer has assessed the member's prequalification questionnaire and evidence against defined requirements and accepted it.
Do 3lancers pay to be members?
Yes. 3lanse is funded by small memberships paid by both professionals and hiring businesses. In return there are no finder's fees and no commission on a 3lancer's day rate.
Can I be a 3lancer in more than one discipline?
Yes. Members choose a main discipline and can add others, for example a site manager who also works as a contracts manager. Their profile and search listings reflect each of them.
Work independently, with the paperwork handled
Join 3lanse, build your profile and complete your PQQ once.